Humane Society for Seattle-King Co

I have adopted my last 3 cats from this wonderful No kill Shelter and I really appreciate the staff and volunteers because they are friendly and made my adoptions so easy! And if I could, I would adopt them all!

Chief is my fourth Humane Society dog. His family had to surrender Chief because he had a cancerous tumor on his hip and the family could not afford to treat him. At the age of 10, the vets removed the tumor and 4 months later I adopted him. At 13 1/2 years young he enjoys running all over the place. The Humane Society saved another life who greatly enriches mine.

I have been volunteering with the Humane Society for Seattle/King County for almost 20 years. They are the best animal organization I have ever worked with. They reach the community in many ways, from offering low cost spay/neuter events, to providing dog and cat food to low income seniors and people with HIV?AIDS, to having a huge network of volunteers to help with their fundraising and training. They also have one of the best save rates for animals in the country. They often take animals from other shelters to help them get adopted. They really care about making sure people and animals are aligned for the best fit to ensure it is a forever home.

I have been volunteering at the Seattle Humane Society for 3 years now. I've also donated to their fundraisers and items in need for the animals. The staff are wonderful to work with, many of the volunteers have been working there for years, and the animals are well taken care of. The public should know that the animals get the necessary care to help them be successful in their new homes. They really do care about the animals they have in their care.

I've been volunteering here for less than a year and I can't imagine my life without it. It's such a great group of people dedicated to the well-being of animals in their community. The trust and respect that they show to their volunteers is amazing and every week I look forward to my shift.

I have volunteered at several animal shelters in the Seattle/South Sound area, and by far Seattle Humane is the best! They have such dedicated staff, so many great volunteers, and really provide critical services for a large number of folks in the Puget Sound Area. What I really appreciate is that SHS listens to the volunteers, taking seriously their input on programs and operations. They also work with other shelters in the area, transfer animals from shelters that are too full, and find rescue for animals that have medical/behavioral issues that might make them unadoptable or euthanasia candidates at other shelters. They have a 96.5% rescue rate (far above the 90% needed to be considered no/low-kill), and a four-star rating on Charity Navigator, the highest rating available! I have volunteered there for 4+ years, and hope to continue for a long time to come--there are some 20+ year volunteers, and I hope to be one of them!

We looked at several shelters throughout the northwest and when we came across Seattle Humane Society we knew we found the one we wanted to be associated with. We have been foster parents and volunteers for their events. Our situation is a little different then most, we take in the older foster cats that either have a medical need or don't have much time left because of age or sickness. We want to have them spend the rest of their lives in a home not a cage. The fiest foster we have only lived for a sort time before we had to take her back because she was so ill and they wanted to try some things at the shelter. After a couple of days we got a phone call that they had decied to put Munchie out of her misery and they want to know if we wanted to come and say goodbye. Well we got there and we met with the vet there and we all started to cry. Sharing that moment with Dr B endeared us to SHS. We have not come acorss ant other shelter that shows so much compassion for the animals as this one does. In the last year we have provided a home for 5 other kitties that have since passed on as well as 2 "Fospice" kitties that are still with us. We have one slot open for them when they have a desperate situation they will call us. They all are the best from the foster cat cordinator to the head vet. Very, very special people that only think animal first!

I have been volunteering with them for 2 years now & I LOVE it! I can see firsthand how good all the staff is at helping animals find their forever homes. This is a private non-kill shelter that also helps other smaller shelters from around the country, when they can. This past weekend they had a FREE adoption blitz (adoption fees were waived), they were able to find homes for over 200 animals & now that they have extra space they plan on helping a smaller shelter by taking in some of their animals. They're AMAZING!!

I have three WONDERFUL pets -- two dogs and one cat -- from Seattle Humane Society. The adoption staff really get to know the dogs and cats, so they can recommend a pet that that is a good fit for your family. Our daughter loves all the pets, and they are gentle with her and love to play. We also took a dog training class with our adopted Dauschund, and the instructor was amazing.

Seattle Humane Society works on many angles, increasing spay & neuters to prevent unwanted animals to being totally dedicated to matching homes to animals for those animals in need of placement. I work in the dog socialization and behavior area. The program is well organized with emphasis on safety for both dogs and volunteers, on cleanliness and health- again for both dogs and volunteers. I observe a well run organization, with caring, dedicated, and knowledgable staff (the training program for volunteers is thorough).

My cat Button and I are part of the Visiting Pet Program of the Humane Society. We visit assisted living facilities and nursing homes. So far we have made over 60 trips to these facilities and visited over 500 residents. It is incredible to see Button in action. She knows how to get on each person's lap if they are in a chair or where to position herself on their bed if they are bedridden. She has an amazing connection with people suffering from severe Alzheimer's. I have seen people who were staring into space and not moving, suddenly become responsive to her presence next to them. I cannot express how blessed I feel that the Humane Society has this program going, what it means to those we visit and what it means to be to be able to watch my cat in action. I have been with the Visiting Pet Program since it started and it is the most rewarding volunteer experience I have ever had.

I volunteer as part of the "Dog Behavior and Socialization" group. We exercise and train the dogs. Volunteers are the main source of exercise for the adoptable dogs. I definitely feel like we make a deference the the dogs' stay at SHS!

I'm a retired physician with managerial experience who has been volunteering at SHS for three years. I started out in Dog Behavior and Socialization, which I still do, then added Jog-a-Dog (running approx 4 mi with a dog) and dog Playgroups, total 15-20 hours a week. There are abundant opportunities at SHS to volunteer in various capacities as well as to acquire new knowledge and skills. Unlike my experience at another animal shelter, volunteers are well-managed and know that we are appreciated. The staff are knowledgable, friendly and seem to appreciate our feedback and our enthusiasm. Turnover of staff is remarkably low considering the stressful nature of this "business". Quality of volunteers and of managerial staff is outstanding. Focus is always on the animals and their potential adopters. Animals and people are treated kindly. Despite the many constraints of our small and outmoded facility, morale is high. Continuing educational opportunities and ability to give feedback that is listened to support a level of enthusiasm that results in long-term volunteering. (Some volunteers have been active for 10-20 years!) I love this organization and intend to support it with my time and contributions for as long as I can.

I was a kitten foster parent for Seattle Humane Society. It was an incredible experience. First, the fact that SHS has a foster program is commendable. It has allowed the shelter to help so many cats and dogs it otherwide couldn't take in. The program was well run and provided me with all the advice, supplies and medication needed to help kittens become adoptable. Each time I returned my foster kittens back to the shelter, they were adopted right away. This was a very rewarding experience and I would recommend it to any animal lover who has some extra time to make a difference in a pet's life.

I started working at the 1 1/2 yrs ago. I spend Saturday mornings working in the Cat Annex taking care of the cats. This involves monitoring, feeding and cleaning out the cubbies. And when time permits, playing or cuddling them. I work with the best group of volunteers and it makes my Saturday mornings lots of fun. Working as a volunteer at the SHS is so rewarding and they make you feel so welcome and appreciated. I wish I could volunteer there everyday instead going to my paying job! I think the thing that impresses me most is how everyone cares so much about the animals. I'm always proud to say I volunteer for the Seattle Humane Society.

I've been a volunteer for seven years at the Seattle/King County Humane Society. My first role was assisting the public with meeting and adopting dogs and cats. I've since moved on from that role to packing food for the Pet Food Bank, a monthly program that provides dog and cat food for senior homes. In addition, I participate in various events, especially the HS annual Tuxes and Tails working registration. Most recently my husband and I have become foster parents. We are currently fostering Buddy a three year-old part German Shepherd. He's the sweetest dog and we're probably going to adopt him! I love volunteering for the Humane Society and will continue to do so for years to come.

SHS is a very organized no-kill shelter, with extremely dedicated staff and volunteers, with tons of opportunities to do good for the animals. My husband and I work full time busy jobs and we've been volunteering there for 2 years, every Sunday - it really feels like what we are doing helps a lot.

I had a negative bad experience during Mother's Day Weekend. I submitted my adoption papers on Saturday in person at exactly 5PM, and was told they were closing early (usually stay open till 8PM on Saturdays), but would be open from 11AM-6PM the next day, Sunday, 5/13/12. Therefore I came back the next day ready to adopt an extra large dog that I had selected the day before, but right upon entering was told that they could not find my application, but eventually found it after 20 minutes. During the meantime I went out to check on the extra large male dog I wanted but he wasn't there, so I asked a volunteer what happened and she told me he had bit or scratched somebody the day before. She wasn't sure what had happened, so I asked the receptionist and he too was confused. Basically I received a bunch of excuses that he was no longer available for adoption, though the day before he was, very odd & suspicious. So I said "okay", then I would like to adopt another medium sized dog I had seen, so the volunteer informed the receptionist and after 20 minutes an Adoption Assisant by the name of Tivo called me to her side with my application in hand and in a rude aggressive tone basically told me neither dog I was interested in would be available for me because *she/Tivo" felt none of the two dogs was right for me. She basically plays God. Even though I have owned 10 dogs throughout my 4 decades on earth, all lived to old age except one was stolen (which Tivo treated like a crime!), and paid thousands of dollars in medical care when needed for congestive heart failure as a result of old age (he died in September 2011), and when two of my dogs was diagnosed with cancer (she died in September 2008 & the other September 2000) , and another with a tumour in March 2001. I paid all costs without fail (my veterinarian is Dr. Heather Stewart of Carousel Veterinary Services). Also, I have my dogs professionally groomed by Tender Care Services (Debbie & Joanne). As well Mrs. Jeannie Chow of the Seattle Animal License Department (whom inspects one's home annually if there are 3 or more dogs in residence) has stated our house is one of the cleanest and it's obvious we love dogs. I even had to go through a bunch of red tape to get my two mixed breed labrador retrievers transferred from South America to the USA when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer back in 1997-1998. That's how much I love my dogs. Then to have this Adoption Assistant by the name of Tivo decide that I wasn't good enough for either dog literally broke my heart, broke my heart (this after 8 months of grieving for my beloved Jojo). I finally was ready to adopt, and instead of paying lots of money from a professional dog breeder (as is usually my custom, except my 2 Peace Corps dogs and the one I owned when I was age 4-17 yrs. old; my first) I decided this time I wanted one from the Seattle Humane Society, to help out one that was most likely abandoned. Just an upsetting experience (we donate to the Humane Society every Christmas), as well when my dog(s) pass away I donate as much of their items as I can. So to be turned away was just appalling, literally. ***PS: we own our own home, purchased in 1969, have approximately 2.5 acres of green luscious backyard & frontyard to romp in, 3 lovely doghouses (none being used currently b/c Jojo passed away on 9/23/11), have brand new dog beds, toys, bowls, leashes, collars, honestly anything a dog could wish for, including a fenced in 2.25 acres of 6-feet fence in the backyard, kennel, and a 4.5-feet 0.75 acres of wrought iron fence in the frontyard, a huge awning/deck/patio area, tall fluffy trees for shade. etc. etc. etc. In fact I would be honored to have anyone come to my house to see how beautiful it is for a dog or dogs.****

I volunteer at the shelter, and for the most of the part they do a great job. Especially now, when they became a no-kill shelter.